MEMBERSHIP RENEWALS DUE APRIL 1, 2014

Wooden News Volume 5, Issue No. 1, 2014 Look Aft and Learn Partnerships Key to In This Issue...

Moving Forward Sailing a Punt, Rediscovering an Old Tradition...... 2 Trinity Out and About...... 4 The Wooden Boat Museum of NL and Trinity Historical Society are joining hands to share experience and expertise. Drawing on the experience and expertise of both organizations, we are forming a partnership whereby the Wooden Boat Museum’s Exhibit and Our Before Fibreglass – Wooden of Workshops/Demonstrations can be offered in the high and Labrador will be on display at the Long Point established visitor base in Trinity. for the 2014 – 2015 seasons, through an Chapter II of our Before Fibreglass – Wooden Boats of agreement with the Twillingate Isles Tourism Association. Newfoundland and Labrador story will be written and A portion of the proceeds from this agreement will be used displayed at the Courthouse in Trinity beginning in 2014. to assist the Isles Wooden Boat Building Committee in their The Exhibit will combine storyboards from Chapter I development work. intertwined with an historical narrative of boat building and The Wooden Boat Museum of NL and the Isles Wooden the fishery in the Trinity Bight area. Boat Building Committee are forming a long term partnership which will enable us to tell the Twillingate Isles story. Upon completion of their developmental work, the Isles Wooden Trinity Courthouse Boat Building Long Point Lighthouse committee will offer boatbuilding workshops and demonstrations of wooden boatbuilding skills and Chapter III of the story will be written and displayed in their new facility. Sailing a Punt, Rediscovering an Old Tradition By Derrick Burry We started to grin when the punt began to increase The Wooden Boat Museum of Newfoundland and speed in the rising winds. Labrador archives, conserves, exhibits and transmits Dad was on the tiller and our wooden boat history and its contribution to the province’s economy and way of life. I sat on the midship tawt (thwart) with the sheet Board of Directors: in my hand. “How fast is she going?” asked dad. I Chair/President glanced at the GPS. “5 ½ Frank French knots,” I said. “Das not Vice Chair/Vice President Jim Dempsey bad, me son” he replied, Secretary “The wind is only blowing Beverley King (ex-officio) about 10 or 12 knots.” We Treasurer looked astern to see the Wallace Pinhorn wake that she was making Trimming sails. Hare Bay, Bonavista Bay in Background Directors and I knew we were going Terry Hickey Melvin Green to have a great run home. Jennifer Green Sheppard Such are the many experiences I’ve had in the company of my father since Cle Newhook Chris Osmond building my punt in 2006. Heather Wareham Mark Wareham I initially considered building a speed boat, but soon I decided to build a punt Bruce Whitelaw (Past Chair) instead. My father had shared many stories with me of his youth, and Funding Partners: sailing punts in his home waters of , Bonavista Bay. These stories enthralled me so much that I decided to build a punt of my own and experience Atlantic Opportunities Agency firsthand what it was like to sail an open boat in the same manner as he did. (Government of Canada) Department of Innovation Trade and Rural Development (Government of Newfoundland and Labrador) “ My punt’s design is directly influenced by its intended purpose – to sail. ” Website: www.woodenboatnl.com My punt’s design is directly influenced by its intended purpose – to sail. I took an existing mold for a 14′ rodney and altered it to get a larger punt, measuring Membership: 17′5″ in length and 5′ wide. I determined that with these dimensions she’d Individual membership is $30 and includes have plenty of volume to easily accommodate three adults and comfortably unlimited free admission to the Wooden Boat carry a bit more sail. I Museum in Winterton for one year (and 10 per cent discount on guest admissions); 10 per cent made her bottom flatter discount at the museum store in Winterton; and to give her good bearing free subscription to Wooden Boat News. and the counter is high For information on other membership out of the water to categories and benefits, contact Beverley King. minimize as much drag as Phone 709-583-2070 or email [email protected]. possible. Cutting timber in the woods was near Newsletter: impossible at the time, so I decided to build her Wooden Boat News is published four times a year. Members contribute most of the out of wood strips and information and photos for this publication. fibreglass.

Chief Editor: Cle Newhook Inquiries and Mailing: Beverley King, Secretary Moving along under full mainsail and jib She is also built with a This project provided me with my first opportunity to sail dagger board to improve and needless to say, when launch day finally arrived I was her performance on all quite excited, yet apprehensive, to see how the boat would points of sail, especially perform. Dad took the lead and skippered the boat on many when beating to win’ard. of those early outings. He looked quite comfortable and in In the tradition of punts his element. It seemed as though he hadn’t forgotten one sailed in Greenspond thing after all those years. In 10-12 knots of wind the boat I chose the spritsail travels easily at 5 knots and in heavier winds has often configuration and to attained 6-7 knots on a broad reach. Her stability is very make her more versatile good and she bears up well with her full sail and small jib. for other uses she is also She points high with the dagger board extending 3 feet set up with two rowing below her keel and handles well on all other points of sail. stations and a motor I was surprised to discover that like many larger sailboats well to accept a 2.5 hp with ballasted keels, the punt heaves to with minimal drift outboard motor. in the water. I’m still learning to sail her and on each outing I continue to discover more of the punt’s performance From dad’s description characteristics and have become more confident in her of the sail rigs used ability to handle varying wind conditions. in his day around Greenspond, the sprit rig This fall I ended my sailing season with some of the Note Spread and lacing along mast was the most common best sailing experiences I’ve had since building her. I for small punts. This am fortunate to have learned much from my father who four sided sail has its continues to coach me and offer advice in boat handling and upper aft corner held up by a long pole called the sprit seamanship. And in turn I am grateful for the opportunity to (traditionally pronounced “spread”). The bottom end of the provide him with another chance to re-experience a mode of “spread” is held to the lower mast by a small loop which can travel he so enjoyed in his youth. slide up and down the mast for quick and easy adjustments. The butt of the mast was commonly tapered and rounded to allow the mast to rotate freely in its mast step while sailing on either a port or starboard reach. To erect the rig into place all one needed was a hole in the tawt, allowing the mast to past through it into a simple mast step – a small notch in the keelson where the butt of the mast would sit. This rig was favoured as the sail was generally small in size and along with its short mast allowed fishermen to douse it easily, roll it up and stow it out of the way aboard the punt. The sail is so small and simple that the mast is unstayed, meaning it does not require rope or wire stays to keep it upright or prevent it from breaking under load. At 70 square feet the sail I chose is a little larger than traditional punt sails and has a single reef that reduces the sail area to 55 square feet. The plan for the sail was professionally drawn and is constructed from Dacron. After a couple of summers sailing with this single sail, I added a small jib of 25 square feet giving me a total sail area of 95 square feet. With this amount of sail the punt moves swiftly through the water and can easily handle wind speeds Heeling slightly in a gust. reaching 12-14 knots. Beyond this wind strength, it’s time to reduce sail and put in a reef. Out and About

Membership Renewals 2014 Boat Building Due April 1, 2014 Workshops/Demonstrations Membership renewals are due April 1, 2014. Revenue The WBMNL offers Boat Building Workshops that generated through our Friend of the Museum program is teach the basic skills and knowledge required to build a vital to our survival. We need all our members to encourage wooden boat. Workshop family and friends to pledge their support, either through participants actively learn memberships or donations. Consider upgrading to a Family, how to build a traditional Benefactor or Life member –benefits include a tax receipt, wooden boat through hands- recognition on both our Museum Friends Plaque at the on training with instruction Museum and on our website. and interpretation from our resident boat building and San Juan Project museum staff. Workshops The Museum of Albaola Basque Maritime Heritage Society is are offered at three levels currently building an authentic replica of the Basque whaling with each level increasing in ship San Juan that sank nearly 450 years ago in Red Bay, duration, materials covered Labrador. In 2016, the replica will sail all over Europe as a and skills developed. Our floating ambassador for the Basque culture. In 2017, they would Children’s Boat Building like to contribute to the celebration of the 150th anniversary of Workshop will take place Canada as a country, by bringing the ship to Canada. every Thursday in July and August in both Winterton and Trinity. The San Juan Project represents a rare opportunity to building strong cultural and commercial connections with an For a complete list of workshops available, check our historical partner in the development of our province. The website at http://woodenboatmuseum.com/2014-boat- WBMNL believes that a comprehensive collaborative and building-workshops. integrated planning effort needs to take place to maximize the benefits of this partnership. Documentation Continues in WBMNL and the Department of Tourism, Culture and Trinity & Twillingate Recreation are hosting a planning meeting on April 10, 2014 Our documentation team will be in Trinity, Twillingate and at the Holiday Inn, St. John’s, beginning at 10:00 AM for the Petty Harbour this coming summer. If you know of any purpose of establishing an overall boats or builders in these areas steering committee and working we would love to hear from sub-committees. you. Contact our Folklorist, Crystal Braye, at If you are interesting in being a [email protected] part of this project, please contact or call (709) 699-9570. Beverley at (709) 583-2070 or by email [email protected]

Look Aft and Learn is Our Motto Seafarers commonly say “look aft” to mean look behind, to the rear and the wake of the vessel. As a wooden boat museum, we feel it is a fitting expression that shows our commitment to looking to our history and heritage as a means of learning for the future.